Coffee Fever
by Bomb-diggity-dog
Summary: Lance had been waiting forever for a relaxing time like this, and was determined not to let a little sickness stop him from enjoying it.


Work Text:

Lance had honestly been looking forward to this for ages. Allura had been pushing them from the get-go of their time in space, so when the princess herself suggested a relaxing bonding weekend, everyone sighed in relief.

So of course, when he woke up with a head-splitting ache, he wasn't about to let that stop him from participating.

The instant he opened his eyes, he knew something was off. A moment later, he pinned it to the excruciating headache pounding his forehead. Lance had experienced migraines before, but not since they'd ventured into space. He didn't have any of his usual treatment methods with him. He'd have to make do.

The blue paladin rolled out of bed groggily, and forced himself into clothing. Allura had a lot planned for today, including races, movies, and a Specialty Hunk Feast made by the master chef himself. Intoxicating scents were wafting down the halls as Lance entered the dining room. It'd be like heaven, if not marred by the pain pressing his head.

"Whatcha making there Hunk?" Lance inquired. Hunk was working in the kitchens, a pan resting on the Altean version of a stove while he diced vegetables.

"Breakfast!" Hunk grinned, not looking up from his food. Lance rubbed his hands together in anticipation. A few moments later, Hunk came in balancing plates like a professional. He smiled proudly the whole time as he set table, before he finally brushed off his hands and turned to face Lance. Instantly, his face morphed from an expression of joy to one of concern.

"Lance, buddy, are you okay?"

Lance grimaced; of course he wasn't going to get by Hunk without a check in. Almost nothing got past the guy.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he reassured. "A cup of coffee would do me some good, though."

"On it."

As Hunk went to get up to get him coffee, the rest of the paladins trickled in, and Pidge stopped the moment she saw Lance.

"Lance, you look awful."

"Gee, thanks, Pidge," Lance scoffed as Hunk set his drink in front of him. "It's nothing."

Keith and Shiro shot him breif concerned glances, but let it drop. Lance downed his coffee in one go, smacking his lips when he was done. Allura entered the dining hall last, just as Hunk put the last finishing touches on the plates.

"Eat up!" Hunk announced proudly.

Lance was eager to eat- really, he was. The food smelled and looked delicious. Yet, as he unenthusiastically pushed the food around his plate, he couldn't bring himself to take a bite. He was actually really disappointed by this, and couldn't help but feel a little bit bad about not being able to eat it all.

"-ance!" Lance looked up to see everyone looking at him. Did he miss something?

Hunk looked quizzically at him. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, I swear, just not that hungry." Lance leaned back in his seat, stretching his surprisingly sore muscles.

"Are you sure? You'll need your energy for the races later." said Allura.

"I'm perfectly fine, I'll still be able to run," Lance assure. "And besides, I've always got more coffee."

* * *

Lance wasn't fine.

He must've had seven or eight cups of coffee by this point, and the day still wasn't over. All through the movie, Lance's headache relentlessly persisted. On top of that, Pidge had stolen literally every single blanket in the castle. He was shivering the whole time, even after Hunk had scooted up next to him.

And then came the races.

Even while competitive, it was all for fun. Lance had always been an incredibly fast runner, and he wasn't afraid to boast about it. He ignored the persistent concerned looks Hunk shot, insisting he was alright. No headache was going to stop him from finally smashing his teammates into the ground at _something_.

He watched Keith and Shiro line up at the start for the first race. He definitely wasn't swaying as they took off, but he nonchalantly steadied himself on the wall just in case. His head was pounding, and he was so caught up in keeping himself upright he didn't notice who won, which vaguely annoyed him through the haze.

"Okay, next is Lance against Keith!" Coran announced, twirling his mustache. Keith smirked at the blue paladin, and Lance shook off whatever was plaguing him. This was his chance to _crush_ his rival.

He and Keith lined up at the start. Keith tossed a smug look at Lance over his shoulder, and Lance glared back.

"On your mark…" Pidge adopted her announcer voice. "Get set… go!"

Lance took off, ignoring the warnings bouncing around in his head. His head was killing him, but he slugged through.

 _Just a little further._

Keith was pulling ahead, and Lance pushed even harder. His breath was labored and his muscles were aching, but he didn't care.

 _Almost there… Just a little…_

Lance didn't really process what happened next. He tripped, and then- he was on the floor? Keith was above him, his expression one of pure panic. He was saying something- his name, maybe? It was difficult to discern anything. He could feel a pounding in his head- no, wait, those were footsteps. The others were crowding over him, Keith had a hand on his forehead. Why was…?

Oh, crap, he was sick. That would explain… well, everything.

"Lance, you're burning up!" Keith exclaimed. Really? He was shivering violently. When did that happen?

"I'm fine," Lance said weakly. He attempted to sit up, before abruptly falling back into strong arms.

"Woah, I don't think so buddy." Lance's head was swimming, and black spots danced at the edges of his vision.

"Shoot, guys, I didn't mean to…" Lance could barely finish the sentence. "Didn't mean to ruin the night."

"Oh Lance," Allura cupped a hand around his face. "You didn't ruin anything. We'll get you fixed up."

Lance looked like he wanted to resist, before he relaxed in Hunk's arms and nodded. Hunk lifted up the blue paladin and led the proceedings. They filed down to the commons, sending concerned glances at Lance. Finally, they reached the main room, where Hunk carefully laid Lance down onto the sofas. Everyone wordlessly seated themselves around him.

"Keith?" Lance murmured. Keith looked surprised that Lance had specifically asked for him, and put it to the fact that Lance was out of it. "We're gonna have a rematch later, right?"

Keith laughed, the tension in his shoulders slowly seeping away. "Of course, Lance. Gotta win fair and square."

"M'kay, good," Lance mumbled. Keith absentmindedly took his hand and gave it a soft squeeze, which Lance weakly returned.

"Get some rest, okay Lance?" Shiro directed with a soft smile. Lance nodded, still clutching Keith's hand. His body still ached, yet he somehow felt better just by being around his team. Slowly yet surely, he fell into a peaceful slumber, content to be around his friends.


End file.
